Roasted Pepper Crostini
Serve an amazingly delicious Italian-inspired appetizer! This roasted pepper crostini recipe blends just the right amount of spice with a smoky flavor. Red bell peppers, banana peppers and poblano peppers are roasted, allowed to steam then mixed with oregano, garlic, breadcrumbs and Parmesan to enhance the flavor.
If you have sensitive skin you may want to consider wearing disposable gloves when handling peppers. At the very least, make sure you wash your hands really well before you go wiping your eyes.
This recipe pays homage to the Calabria region of Italy. Although Calabria is known for spicy and fiery red chilies, we’ve toned down the heat and cranked up the spice to eliminate the need for a fire extinguisher.
To make it even more appealing, use smoked provolone cheese. Melted on baguette slices that have been toasted to perfection, it’s a delicious way start off your evening. Try it!
Roasted Pepper Crostini Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper
- 2 banana peppers
- 2 poblano peppers
- oil, for rubbing
- 1 baguette, cut into ½" slices
- olive oil, for brushing
- 1 tsp dried oregano, for sprinkling
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp breadcrumbs, fine
- 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
- 2 oz provolone cheese, or smoked provolone, grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees then line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray or rub each of the peppers with oil and place them on the baking sheet. Bake 25–35 minutes, turning twice during the bake time—the skins will become wrinkled and charred. Remove the peppers from the oven then reduce the heat to 350 degrees.
- Transfer the peppers to a large mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to steam while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Brush 15–20 baguette slices with olive oil then sprinkle lightly with dried oregano. Place a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot place the bread, oil side down, into the skillet and allow it to toast for 1–2 minutes until golden brown. Remove the bread from the skillet and continue toasting the remaining bread pieces, toasting only one side. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside for later use.
- Once the peppers have had at least 15 minutes to steam inside the bowl, transfer them to a cutting board—the skins should be blistered and easy to remove. Remove skins and cut the stems then discard. Slice the peppers open, remove the membranes and seeds from the interior then discard them. Chop the roasted peppers coarsely and set aside.
- Return the skillet to medium heat and add 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Add the garlic then cook for 1 minute, or just until it becomes soft. Once the garlic has softened and become fragrant, add the roasted peppers and their liquid. Cook just long enough to heat the peppers through then remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
- Top each piece of toast with a small amount of grated provolone and the pepper mixture. Place on a baking sheet and bake 5 minutes, or just long enough to melt the cheese. Allow the crostini to cool 5 minutes before topping with a bit more provolone or Parmesan cheese. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!